Lil Nas X Rips Pants in Fiery “SNL” Performance

For his highly anticipated Saturday Night Live gig, Lil Nas X took to the stage in a pair of sexy, flame-adorned leather pants to perform his controversial hit song “Montero (Call Me By Your Name).” Unfortunately, the outfit couldn’t stand the heat generated by his steamy dance moves.

The 22-year-old singer’s facial expression was unmistakable after a sultry pole move resulted in the wardrobe malfunction. With a little quick thinking, Lil Nas X was able to finish out the routine by covering the tear with a crotch grab, only adding to the sensuality of the song.

Even before the meme-making moment, Lil Nas’s performance was the talk of the town. “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” was met with mountains of criticism upon its release in March of this year. Christian groups berated the young star for his use of religious imagery in the song’s music video that featured scenes of the Garden of Eden, Hell, and Satan. The queer community, however, celebrated the musician’s video that reclaimed common anti-LGBTQ religious sentiments.

Social media immediately lit up with fans posting light-hearted jabs at the singer’s pants rip. Lil Nas X joined them, making light of the malfunction on Twitter and TikTok the next day, reposting his favorite jokes about the mishap and tweeting out: “i know i do a lot of planned shit but ripping my pants on live television is not one of them”.

Nas X took a break from the humor when he admitted he was “afraid” to perform the contentious song in light of negative reactions from Christians and conservatives. After coming out as gay in 2019 following his chart topping song “Old Town Road,” the singer received online attacks about his identity from conservatives, celebrities, and previous fans alike.

The attacks resumed with renewed vigor upon the release of “Montero” in 2021. The singer usually handles his haters with quick, comedic shutdowns, but his vulnerability in the tweet on Sunday was telling of how profound the performance was to him and his supporters.

at first i was afraid to even perform. then we rehearsed for 2 weeks, then all of the dancers got removed because one had covid and new ones had to learn the routine in 24 hours, and then i ended up ripping my pants and couldn’t finish. everything happens for a reason tho lol????

— nope ???? (@LilNasX) May 23, 2021

It wasn’t long before the artist returned to his usual antics, though, mourning the loss of a sure-to-be fiery pole routine from his choreography due to the infamous pants rip. With any luck, we’ll get to see the full, rip-free performance in the future. Let’s just hope he’ll reinforce the crotch of his costume from now on.